Hey fam, this may be the Games Geeks TECH Talk, but this week’s segment is straight up VIDEO GAMES, yo! [Insert relatable meme here …Oh wait, the EU is banning memes now? Nvrmnd O.o ]
…Um, hi there 😀 ! Your favorite nerdy nancy here, and indeed, we do have some gaming news for you: from the mounting debate over “Gaming Disorder,” to adding video games to the Olympics, to — OMG Skynet is coming, we’re all gonna die!!! — No, just kidding, it’s just some AI bots playing video games really well. And it’s all here, on the GGT Talk!
Check us out at about the 95-minute mark:
As always, you’ll want to check out the show from the start, because GHR knows just what you want to hear! This week, the cast is joined by Johnny Yong Bosch of Power Rangers, Bleach and more – chatting about a whole heap of stuff and things. and much more! Don’t miss it!
As promised, here are links to all that we discussed:
Gaming in the Olympics: Fortune.com
AI Bots Defeat Humans in Dota 2: Cnet.com
Gaming Disorder:
Is gaming a disorder? The WHO thinks so: World Health Organization Official Site
But what do YOU think?
From our perspective, while excessive gaming can be harmful and should be treated, we want to ask: Does gaming addiction really need its own, separate classification? There are so many activities that can become addictive and/or harmful in the digital age; from television, to Youtube, to social media and online porn (and the latter two only require a simple Google search to unearth countless articles and studies outlining their potential for harm). So why is only gaming suddenly being singled out? Have video games really proven to be such a standout villain in the modern media landscape, that we need to highlight their rare misuse, as a specific mental illness? Or are there perhaps, political and corporate interests that are looking to disempower a form of media that is presenting a serious challenge to establishment media, like the sinking Titanic that is network television?
What if a gaming addiction is a sign of, or is caused by, other, deeper issues, such as depression or anxiety? Gaming, in and of itself, is not particularly harmful, because it is just a type of media like any other, including magazines, television, film, or even music. Are some games addictive? Sure. Are some people addicted to gaming? Sure. But gaming, i.e., playing video games, is not in and of itself a negative. And video games, unlike TRULY addictive substances and activities (ie. alcohol, gambling) have actually been proven to help humanity in a variety of industries, from education to healthcare. When is the last time you took a college course that required getting drunk first? Or got treated for a medical condition by betting on a horse race? Well, in contrast, video games are being used to help teach history, treat PTSD, and have the potential to change the lives of children with ADHD and other conditions. Therefore, sullying the image of an entire form of media, and one which has such great positive potential, just for the sake of pathologizing its occasional misuse, seems irresponsible. It puts a negative spin on an industry that already has an uphill battle when it comes to securing financial & public support, for items such as grants for scientific research, and inclusion in pioneering educational programs.
If someone is depressed, or has anxiety, or another mental health condition, and they turn to nonstop gaming as a crutch, then we need to treat that underlying condition, rather than oversimplify their condition as merely the result of excessive gaming. After all, what is excessive & damaging for one person, might be the start of a long and amazing eSports career for another. Clearly it’s not the GAMES, that are the problem.
GamesGeeksTech
Read other various views on this topic (outside links; inclusion here does not denote our endorsement):
The Atlantic
CNN.com
TheHour.com
TheGuardian.com
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